Select committee: Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 36
Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health
Published 9 Dec 2021
Paragraph 165
Addressed to Department of Health and Social Care
Health and Social Care Committee Children and young people's mental health All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We are deeply concerned about the increasing numbers of children and young people who experience self-harm and suicide and the quality of care they are able to access. Much more needs to be done to tackle suicide and self-harm amongst children and young people. In particular, given the link between self-harm in children and young people and later suicidality, any suicide prevention strategy must include improving the support available to those who self-harm. We have heard that too often, children and young people’s mental health services are not commissioned with self-harm in mind. It is essential that self-harm is not used as a reason to reject referrals to mental health services. While we welcome the inclusion of self-harm in the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, we are clear that support must be available earlier to these children and young people, before they reach a crisis point.
From: Health and Social Care Committee, Eighth Report - Children and young people’s mental health (HC 17), paragraph 165, 9 December 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 18 March 2022 (deadline 9 February 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's report and says it has "considered the recommendations", with responses that accept some in part, accept a few in full, and are considering others.
- On a cabinet sub-committee (Recommendation 1), it accepts in part, saying "the portfolios of ministers and cabinet committees are the prerogative of the Prime Minister", and it retains a cross-government Ministerial group.
- On 100% access to specialist support (Recommendation 4), "the government is considering" it, adding that plans beyond current commitments "are contingent on future funding settlements".
- It agrees the gap between mental health surveys was too long and commits to "a comprehensive national survey every 7 years", with the next in 2024, rather than the Committee's 3-year cycle.
- It accepts the recommendation on expanding Independent Mental Health Advocates to informal patients, but says this is "subject to future funding decisions".